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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · press · race · coach · club · band · bay · wax

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. band — a ring
  6. wax — to grow
  7. race — humankind
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. press — to push
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. race — a contest
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. game — wild animals
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. press — a publisher
  16. race — the arms race
  17. band — a music group
  18. press — newspapers
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. club — for golf
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com